John Riel Casimero triumphs in comeback fight in Japan

John Riel Casimero bounced back emphatically in his latest outing, scoring a fifth-round technical knockout against Japan’s Tom Mizokoshi at the Aichi Sky Expo on Saturday.

This victory served as redemption for Casimero, who suffered a disappointing unanimous decision loss to Japan’s Kyonosuke Kameda in October in Kyrgyzstan.

Casimero controlled the pace from the opening bell against the local challenger. He systematically picked apart Mizokoshi with crisp combinations and accurate left hooks, visibly hurting the Japanese fighter throughout the middle rounds.

In the decisive fifth round, Casimero unleashed a powerful three-punch sequence that forced Mizokoshi to the canvas.

Although the Japanese fighter beat the count, the referee opted to stop the bout at 1:10 of the round as Mizokoshi was unable to defend himself effectively, forcing a referee stoppage.

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🇵🇭John Riel Casimero scores a Round 5 Stoppage win over Tom Mizokoshi pic.twitter.com/hquEPQfcsS

— Tokkerū (@ATokkers5) December 27, 2025

The win improved Casimero’s professional record to 35-5-1, including 24 knockouts. 

Mizokoshi, meanwhile, fell to 11-6-2 with 5 knockouts after the stoppage.

Casimero has long been one of the Philippines’ most accomplished fighters, having previously won world titles in three different weight divisions. 

The Ormoc City native has competed extensively in Japan throughout his career and even signed with Japanese promoter Kameda Promotions earlier in 2025 in pursuit of big-name fights and renewed relevance on the international stage.

After the fight, Casimero did not shy away from looking to the future. In his post-fight remarks, he publicly called out former world champion John Nery.

The potential bout would likely take place in the Featherweight division, offering Casimero a chance to break into world rankings again with a big win.

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